Mail-bag fastener.



No. 677,081. Patented lune 25, |90I. C. HERMAN.

MAIL BAG FASTENER.

(Applicativi: med In. 29, 1901.)

(No Modal.)

a @www www UNrrnu STATES PATENT Ormea.

CHRISTOPHER HERMAN, OF THOMPSON, MONTANA.

MAIL-BAG FASTENER.

SECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent N0. 677,081, dated June 25, 1901.

Application filed March 279, 1901. Serial No. 53,503. (No model.)

To all whom, it Huey concerts:

Be it known that I, CHRISTOPHER HERMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Thompson,in the countyof Missoula and State of Montana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Bag Fasteners; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in inail-bag and other fastening devices; and it consists in the provision of spring actuated longitudinally movable bolts which are connected to hinged plates which have at their meeting or hinged ends registering recessesadapted when the bolts are held in locking relation to fit over an eye or staple through which the tongue and padlock may be passed to hold the bolts locked.

The invention will be hereinafter more fully described and then specically defined in the appended claims and is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which, with the letters of reference marked thereon, form part of this application, and in which drawings similar letters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views, in which- Figure l is a side elevation of the upper or open end of a bail-bag7 showing my improved fastening device secured thereto. Fig. 2 isa horizontal sectional View taken on line 2 2 of Fig. l, and Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Reference now being had to the details of the drawings by letter, A designates the mailbag, provided with a handle B, and to the flap C of the bag is fastened a metallic strip C. Parallel with said metallic strip is a second bar of metal D, having staples or loops E arranged atl intervals and adapted to register with the apertures in the flap and rim of the bag when said flap is folded over in the posi tion shown in Fig. l of the drawings. Vhen said flap is folded in a closed relation, the eyes will be in line with one another and adapted to receive the locking-bolts.

Mounted on the plate Care the eyes Gand G'. Mounted in said eyes G and Gr are the lon gitudinally-movable bars F, each of which has a shouldered portion at F', adapted to strike against the outer faces of the eyes or staples G' to limit the inward movement of said bolts. Each bolt has a cylindrical member F2, open at one end and mounted thereon, said bolt passing through an aperture in the closed end of the cylindrical member. A spring is mounted about the outer end of each bolt F, one end of which spring bears against the inner wall of the closed end of the cylinder, while its other end bears against the inner face of the eye (lr. The oiice of this spring is to throw the locking-bolts in-A ward or out of a locking relation with the registering eyes at the ends of the metallic bar C.

Pivoted to the inner ends of the sliding bolts are the toggle-links H and H', which are slotted at their ends and carry pivotal pins h. One of said toggle-links is recessed on its upper face to receive an identification-tag I, and the adjacent ends of said links are hinged together, and each is slotted, as at H2, said slots being in registration and adapted to fit over the central eye or staple J when said toggle-links are pushed down into horizontal positions and in line with the locking-bolts. Shoulders H3, Fig. l, on one of said togglelinks serve to limit the inner throw of the outer ends of the links by said shoulders coming in contact with the edge of the second link, which is the position assumed by said links when the locking-bolts have been withdrawn from the eyes or staples at the ends of said metallic strip. Mounted on the pivotal pin which connects the hinged ends of the toggle-links is a bail L, which is utilized as a handle for the purpose of pulling the two hinged ends of the toggle-links away from the metallic plate. After the toggle-links are raised from over the eye or staple through which the tongue or padlock is passed the two links will be thrown outward under the ini-luence of the springs on the sliding bolts.

From the foregoing it will be observed that when the toggle-links are pushed down against the metallic strip C the bolts are thrown through the registering eyes at the ends of the plate and the springs will be under ten- IOO sion, said bolts being held in locking relation by the toggle-links buckling, in which position the slots at the hinged ends of the toggle-links will receive the eye or staple J.. In this position the tongue of a padlock Inay be passed through said eye J and over the hinged ends of the links.

l. A fastening device for mail-bags, cornprising in combination with the bag having the metallic plates, the registering staples or eyes mounted thereon, the bolts mounted in said registering eyes, the cylindrical members having each an open end, one being mounted ou each bolt, a spring on each bolt, and bearing between the inner end of said cylindrical member and a staple J carried .by one of said plates, the toggle-links hinged to the ends of said bolts and to each other, the staple underneath the meeting ends of the links, the

hinged ends of said links being slotted and adapted to receive said staple J, and through which latter the tongue of a padlock is designed to be passed, as set forth.

2. In combination with the bag, the flap and metallic staples secured thereto, the spring` actuated bolts, shoulders on the latter, the toggle-links hinged to said bolts and to each other, shoulders H3 on one of said links adjacent to its inner hinged end and adapted to contact with the other link to limit the inner throw of the outer ends of said links, as set forth. Y

In testimony whereof I hereunto afx my signature in presence of two witnesses.

cI-IRIsroPHER HERMAN.

Vitnesses:

GEORGE HERMAN,

J. FLORIN. 

